Not sure what your requirements for a 'go to war handgun' are. What I can say is I have a Sig P226 Stainless Elite that I LOVE.

For me it's a range gun. Fun to shoot, very accurate, pretty to look at. For me it's not a defensive gun because of the DA/SA with a decocking lever. I believe that all my defensive guns should follow the same platform for ease of training & my preference is a manual ambi safety lever SAO pistol. Your mileage may vary.

His contention is although Kimber is a wonderful high end production gun, when the shit hits the fan, in days to come. The Kimbers or any 1911 will fail (James Yeager or Nutin Fancy mentality) under hard use of a possible civilian combat environment. But I can see and appreciate his points.

To date I have 6 Kimbers all .45 caliber. Most Are 8 plus 1. The other 2 are 7 plus 1.

Really if I need more firepower probably need to employ an AR-15 or Mini 14.

Looked at a 226 Enhanced Elite and it felt SWEET.
But the 226 SOE more closely relates to what I'm trained on with the 1911 platform and to what Chickadee related. The DA/SA doesn't bother me at all. But using the decocker to safe the gun will require a different mindset.

I have a Sig P229 Stainless Elite Chambered in 9mmPara
with the SRT. Whatever Sig you buy get the SRT (short reset trigger ) you will not be sorry.
40.2 ounce TANK! I like it so much it's on my list in .45acp. P220 SSE

The Sig P226 Extreme is also a fine weapon. Love mine. It has everything. G10 grips, night sights, SRT, etc.... It's SA/DA is as smooth as silk. It has the best SRT out of any of my guns, including my HKs.

For me it's not a defensive gun because of the DA/SA with a decocking lever. I believe that all my defensive guns should follow the same platform for ease of training & my preference is a manual ambi safety lever SAO pistol. Your mileage may vary.

I agree with what Chickadee said about defensive guns following the same platform. I think Sig makes a quality product, I've got a P238, P938 and a C3. The first two are smaller versions of the 1911, the safeties and mag releases are in the same locations and the triggers operate the same way, that means more to me then having an extra couple of rounds in the magazine.

As you mention, what you need is a go to war rifle, AR15 that will hold 30 rounds/magazine and can reach out and touch someone far beyond the reach of a pistol. I am still convinced I would rather have more knockdown power in fewer rounds than being able "spray and pray" with a 9mm. If worried about round counts, you could invest in magazine exchange practice. I do have a Beretta 92fs that has the advantage of 18+1 and is both double and single action. Unfortunately the safety works opposite the 1911 platform. I love this gun but would go to my 45 in a home defense situation.

I have a Sig P229 Stainless Elite Chambered in 9mmPara
with the SRT. Whatever Sig you buy get the SRT (short reset trigger ) you will not be sorry.
40.2 ounce TANK! I like it so much it's on my list in .45acp. P220 SSE

I have the same 229 ,awesome gun.also looking at the p220 .45acp. and the sig 227 .45 acp. 10 round and 14 round magazines 1 model has a threaded barrel.have read a lot of good reviews on the 227 . my Kimber 9mm tactical is nice but my sig 229 9mm is awesome. it also comes in 12 round .40 sw . sig also makes their p226 tacops models , 15 round .40 sw and 20 round 9mm .